South Australian senator Nick Xenophon will introduce legislation to parliament to start shortwave radio again.

The mothballed Shepparton shortwave broadcast station could be coming back online.

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon will introduce legislation to parliament this week to force the ABC to bring back domestic and international shortwave broadcasts.

The broadcasts were shut down last week, after decades of the shortwave signals being listened to by people from across the pacific region and around the world.

A spokesperson for Mr Xenophon said a bill would be introduced sometime this week to bring back the domestic shortwave broadcasts in the Northern Territory, as well as the international Radio Australia broadcasts, which were beamed to the world from Shepparton.

Former district manager at the Shepparton shortwave station, Gary Baker, had been lobbying politicians in recent weeks to stop the shutdown.

‘‘I think it is fantastic that Nick Xenophon has the interest to push this,’’ Mr Baker said.

‘‘I think common sense will prevail.’’

He believed it was important for the Radio Australia shortwave broadcast to stay online, as he said it was still a vital service for many people around the globe.

‘‘It is not as if there are local people screaming about it, it is the people that do not have a voice that we are standing up for,’’ he said.